Pediatric Mental
Health News,
Research, and Media
REACH’s leaders, faculty, and researchers are at the forefront of the national conversation on children’s mental health. Find the latest news, expert commentary, and media resources here.
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From the REACH Blog
The latest evidence, clinical insights, and practical perspectives on pediatric mental health — written specifically for primary care clinicians.
Bridging the Autism Care Gap: What to Expect from REACH’s New Autism Essentials Course
June 26, 2026
Current CDC data shows that roughly one in 31 children has Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Yet, there are fewer than 700 Developmental-Behavioral Pediatricians (DBPs) nationwide. Elizabeth W. Barnhardt, DO, MA(Ed), a Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrician, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at The Ohio State University, and Attending Physician at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, underscores the gravity of this gap:
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20 Years of REACH: Closing the Gap, Expanding Care
May 14, 2026
From the start, our name was intentional. We chose “Children’s Health,” not “mental health,” to reduce stigma and because it was already clear…
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Managing SSRI Discontinuation in Children and Adolescents
April 30, 2026
The decision to wean a child or adolescent off selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) often comes with feelings of both hope and trepidation—not just from the parent and child, but also from the primary care clinician. A recent meta-analysis published in The Lancet Psychiatry found that 15% of patients experience withdrawal symptoms when stopping SSRI
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Findings from the field
Peer-reviewed research led by REACH’s founder and faculty, alongside collaborators, demonstrating the effectiveness of training models like REACH in strengthening pediatric mental health care in primary care settings.
Implementation Science Communications
Scaling pediatric mental health care through primary care workforce training: a task-sharing and upskilling implementation strategy
Peter S. Jensen, Ruth E. K. Stein, M. Lynn Crismon, Cathryn A. Galanter, Lawrence V. Amsel
Academic Pediatrics
Improving Primary Care Response to Youth Suicidality: A Longitudinal Study of a Large-Scale Workforce Training Program
Peter S. Jensen, Cori M. Green, Cathryn A. Galanter, Lawrence V. Amsel
Psychiatric Services
Pediatric Mental Health Practice Change: A Scalable Model for Training and Evaluation
Peter S. Jensen, Cathryn A. Galanter, Mark Wolraich, Ruth E. K. Stein, and M. Lynn Crismon
JAACAP
Can a Continuing Medical Education Intervention Change Pediatricians’ Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Practices?
Peter S Jensen, Tiffany W Brandt, Christopher J Kratochvil, Lisa Hunter Romanelli, James Jaccard
BMC Primary Care
Impact of a Continuing Medical Education Program on primary care providers – an analysis of a child psychiatry education program in Saskatchewan
Malin Clark, Madhav Sarda, Mariam Alaverdashvili, Thuy Le, Adrian Teare, James Barton, Peter S. Jensen & Anna Felstrom
IN THE NEWS
REACH in the News
REACH’s work has been covered by leading national outlets — from Good Morning America and POLITICO to Psychiatric Times, ADDitude Magazine, and Contemporary Pediatrics. Read the latest.
Psychiatric Times – Video Interview with REACH Faculty Member: Dr. Rachel Petersen-Nguyen
Find out moreVIDEOS
Watch and Listen
Video interviews, podcast appearances, and recorded conversations featuring REACH faculty, leadership, and scholarship recipients speaking on pediatric mental health topics including ADHD, anxiety, depression, and the state of children’s mental health care.
Advice for Providers Gender Diverse Patients
Pediatrician Finnian Steele, D.O. shares their advice for providers who are unsure where to start when it comes to creating a safe space for adolescent LGBTQIA+ patients. For information on the HEADSSS assessment, click here: https://www.heardalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/HEADSS.pdf
The REACH Institute: About Us
The REACH Institute is dedicated to ensuring that the most effective, scientifically proven mental health care reaches all children and families.
The REACH Institute Video Testimonial: Grizelda Anguiano, M.D. Pediatrician
Grizelda Anguiano, M.D., FAAP, a recent alumni of the Patient-Centered Mental Health in Pediatric Primary Care course talks about how the course helped her to be a more confident pediatrician
The REACH Institute Testimonial: Hilary Bowers, MD Dir of Behavioral & Mental Health Services
Hilary Bowers, MD, Director of Behavioral Mental Health Services at Children’s Primary Care Medical Group talks about how an interaction with one of her patients, and their mother changed the course of her business.
PODCAST
REACHing Solutions is a podcast dedicated to helping pediatric clinicians better understand and navigate the world of children’s mental health in primary care.
Presented by The REACH Institute, our mission is simple: to enhance the nation’s capacity to address pediatric mental health through transformative training for healthcare professionals.
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Lisa Hunter Romanelli, PhD
CEO, The REACH Institute
Available for Media Inquiries
Lisa Hunter Romanelli, PhD, is a mental health expert and passionate advocate for children’s health. A clinical psychologist, trained at Harvard University, Rutgers University, and Yale University, Dr. Hunter Romanelli specializes in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for children and adolescents and serves as a lead faculty for multiple REACH programs, helping primary care clinicians, behavioral health specialists, and school support staff across the country strengthen their skills and better support the children and families they serve.
Peter S. Jensen, MD
Founder & Board Chair, The REACH Institute
Available for Media Inquiries
Peter S. Jensen, MD, is a child psychiatrist, researcher, and leading voice on the gap between mental health science and the care children actually receive. As former Associate Director of Child and Adolescent Research at the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), Dr. Jensen led landmark studies — including the influential Multimodal Treatment Study of Children with ADHD (MTA) — and went on to found The REACH Institute in 2006 to put that science to work. His model for training primary care providers in evidence-based pediatric mental health care has since reached more than 9,000 providers nationwide. A recipient of the AARP 2024 Purpose Prize, Dr. Jensen remains actively engaged as Chair of the Board of Directors and teaching faculty, bringing nearly two decades of experience to every conversation about children’s mental health.
RESOURCES
Media Pack
Everything journalists and media professionals need to cover REACH accurately and compellingly — including organizational background, key statistics, leadership bios, approved photography, and brand assets. All in one place, ready to use.
About The REACH Institute
The REACH Institute is a professional development nonprofit and the only training institute focused exclusively on expanding pediatric mental health capacity nationwide. For nearly two decades, REACH has trained thousands of primary care clinicians, mental health clinicians, and educators across the U.S. and Canada in evidence-based approaches to child and adolescent mental health care. REACH is a 501(c)(3) organization headquartered in New York, NY.
Contact Communications Team
For media enquiries, interview requests, expert commentary, or press information, please reach out to the REACH communications team directly. We aim to respond to all media requests within one business day.
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Ready to join the 9,500+ clinicians who've completed REACH training? The Patient-Centered Mental Health in Pediatric Primary Care (PPP) program equips pediatric primary care clinicians with practical, evidence-based skills to assess, diagnose, manage, and treat common…
We're proud to share that REACH CEO Lisa Hunter Romanelli, Ph.D., recently joined the We Are For Good podcast as part of their Stories That Fill the Hope Gap series. In the episode titled "Lead With…
Two leading mental health researchers recently highlighted REACH's work in an editorial published in Psychiatric Services (American Psychiatric Association), underscoring the growing recognition of our approach to expanding access to pediatric mental health care. Reflecting on…
July is BIPOC Mental Health Month, an opportunity to recognize the unique mental health challenges that many Black, Indigenous, and People of Color communities face. BIPOC youth and adults have a right to culturally responsive, evidence-based…
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